After getting requests to allow micro cultivation of cannabis, the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury will take another pass at considering whether to approve those operations once it has more information, a town committee voted Tuesday evening.
Cannabis micro cultivation operations are allowed on any agricultural property less than four hectares, even near residential areas; must submit security plans to Health Canada; and are limited to growing a canopy the size of 200 square metres, according to a town staff report.
“We’re an agricultural society … but we need to have some kind of control over where (it’s located),” said Deputy Mayor James Leduc during a Committee of the Whole meeting. “It’s a land planning issue for me. We have too many questions.”
The Town of BWG has received several notices from prospective operators seeking Health Canada licences, read the report.
However, as several councillors pointed out, the town does not have much information on topics such as what security measures and quality controls are required, and how close the operations can be to residential areas.
“I can’t believe security is going to be as big as at MedReleaf and places like that,” said Coun. Gary Baynes.
These operations can be run “on relatively small properties that are potentially located among or close to clusters of residences and other sensitive land uses,” read the town staff report.
One application the town received was for a property near 10 Sideroad south of Holland Street in a “bank of agricultural lots,” said Ryan Windle, the town’s manager of community planning.
“The province and the feds, through their programs, are encouraging (these operations).”
The micro cultivation operators would put their cannabis into bags and mail it to processors, he added.
“I can understand why someone would want to apply for it,” said Coun. Raj Sandhu, noting without smaller businesses, “it will always be the Big Boy’s Club.”
Coun. Peter Ferragine said he is “not totally opposed” to cannabis micro cultivation since the town formally voted in January to be open to cannabis retail stores.
“To just turn around and shoot this down when this town has already taken the steps for the other form of cannabis, I’m not completely against it,” he said.
These micro operations would essentially be home-based businesses, added Coun. Gary Lamb, and residents must be able to craft businesses.
“At least 40 per cent of our economy in Bradford West Gwillimbury is agricultural based, and this is another crop,” he said.
The committee voted to freeze permissions for cannabis micro cultivation for one year or until town staff can gather all the information they need to re-examine the issue and bring a report back to the committee for consideration.
